Stefano Mei European champion of the ten thousand in 1986 is the new president of the Italian Athletics Federation. This is a mass election. A vote that took place despite a very strict anti-Covid protocol. But, in the end, Mei gets through the ballot with Vincent Parrinello. Finally, convincing so many people is a source of great pride. While now is the time to make use of his ideas and his experience to try to resurrect athletics. After a life almost entirely dedicated to this sport, Mei has the opportunity to work and bring athletics back to the glories of the past.
Stefano Mei relaunches athletics and restarts from the territory
Stefano Mei, new president Fidal, restarts from the territory to relaunch theathletics. In presenting its program in view of the next four-year period 2021-2024 and promotes the development of athletics at the national level. So, together with his team he plans to call this project Athletics horizon 2021-2028. We are talking about a name that comes from an idea, a hope, to realize an ambitious program. Likewise Mei also underlines the importance of working in view of the Olympic Games. In fact, athletics has always been the queen competition of the event. In fact, the federal machine has a moment of suspension in order to allow the Azzurri athletes to participate in the Olympics as well as possible.
Even if Stefano Mei is a man with very clear ideas. In fact, the new president is looking for ways to better manage this moment of transition. Above all, the idea is to modernize and change the way of understanding athletics. But trying to breathe new life into this sport is something very ambitious. It also takes time to work. To do this, Mei is focused on changing the direction of the federal budget resources. In particular, it structures a solid path with athletes and technicians but starting from the clubs defined as our terminal on the territory. So athletics starts from the territory to be close to people. This is the basis is the intention of the new Fidal for the next few years.
A life for athletics
Stefano Mei was born in La Spezia on February 3, 1963, while his sporting activity began with the student championships in 1976. Throughout his career, his coach is the former blue middle-distance runner Federico Leporati. We are talking about a young Italian athlete who immediately brings excellent results. In fact, already in 1978 he comes second in Italian championships for track students running the 3000 meters. The following year he obtained his first Italian title and the first blue jersey in the junior category. Mei is a young man of only 16 who closes a 3000 meters race with a time of 8'08 ″ 64. This is the best performance of all time for the time. But it is in 1984 that Stefano Mei sets the new Italian record on 2000 meters with a time of 4'58 ″ 65. Its records continue in the two-year period 1985 and 1986.
Stefano Mei still holds the Italian record for the category today juniors of 1500 meters. This is the record of 3'39 ″ 00 in Bologna at the age of 18. Also in 1984 at Los Angeles Olympics he ranks seventh in the semifinal of 1500 meters. While he won the gold medal at the European Championships in Stuttgart in 1986 by running the 10000 meters. Also in 1986, he comes second to ai European indoor championships in Madrid in the 3000 meters with a time of 7'59 ″ 12. Unfortunately, he often stopped due to injuries, which he brilliantly overtook in 1988, when he still managed to finish in seventh place in the 5000 meters Olympic final in Seoul. Likewise, he obtains the best result over the distance of an Italian athlete. Stefano is an athlete who collects records and successes throughout his career. A great champion who today represents Italian athletics.
